Plz recommend me an ultrasonic cleaner

[shinbone]

I am starting to think it is time for me to invest in an ultrasonic cleaner for gun cleaning. My goal is to save time and get cleaner guns with less effort.

I am hoping to get something that will fit an N-frame gun with 6" barrel. The idea being to remove the grips and simply drop the whole thing into the cleaning solution.

Two units that look like they may work are:

a Lyman 6L (1L ~ 1qrt) unit:

Turbo Sonic 6000 | Lyman Ultrasonic Cleaning

and a Hornady 7L unit:

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ and Accessories :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner 7L 110 VT


Anyone got any suggestions or experience to add?

TIA

[MichiganScott]

Ultrasonic cleaners may work well on fired cases and carbon deposits on your handguns, but how well will they work on copper and lead fouling? If you have to scour out chambers and barrels, you might just as well wipe off the carbon deposits while wiping off any solvent you used to help the mechanical removal of the copper or lead.

[lamarw]

A link with some good information for study: L&R Ultrasonic Cleaning and Lubricating Systems

I collect and therefore have to work on antique clocks in my collection. I use an L&R unit. They make a good ultrasonic and recognized as a quality unit in the industry.

Here are some things to think about in your decision process. It is best to disassembly items down to the parts level. You have to use the right solution for the item you are cleaning. You not only have to use the cleaner, but you also need a rinse and lube solution as a second step in the ultrasonic. The rinse and lube will remove the chemicals from the cleaning process and place the lube removed from the surface. It will also need your standard oil and grease for the interaction between parts. After cleaning, you will need to blow off the moisture. After the rinse cycle, you will once again need to blow and dry the parts. The your standard oiling and grease on parts like slides.

You will want to be careful with what you use on items like night sights, and certain coatings on the finish. You will at least have to remove thinks like certain grips/stock from things like ivory, wood, bone and etc. Any special inlays could be damaged.

Using an ultrasonic is a great deep cleaning and sanitizing method especially for medical equipment. It is not necessarily a labor saving process.

There are many other things I have probably not touched upon.

[gboling]

My department had them in each locker room in the 1970's and 1980's. We used Hoppes #9 in a heated vibra-sonic cleaner. I removed the stocks from my model 14 and hung the gun in the solvent for 20 min. to 24 hrs. I wiped it down, ran patches through it, loaded and holstered it. This method took lead and copper fouling. That gun took 18 yrs of this and is a great gun today.

[MajorD]

White glove inspection clean is not a required standard for firearms cleaning even if your boot camp drill insisted on it. After extensive firing cleaning the revolver to a duty or range ready condition for me takes around five minutes or so. Is it spotless and shiny? No but it doesn't have to be to function properly and that is my goal keep them rolling. Same goes for my semi pistols and rifles. Even guns shot with black powder take me less than 15 minutes to clean.

[Gregor]

Bullets.com(R))

[PhillySoldier]

ShinBone did you wind up getting one?

I was going back and forth for a while myself in deciding whether or not to give them a try. Too much negativity around making me hesitate. A new 50 AE caliber changed my mind real quick as much of a mess that gun makes.

I recently got the Hornady Lock N Load Hot Tub 9L one. Amazon has it for a decent price and there is a Hornady 500 free bullet rebate available

All I can say is I think it works fantastically. Last night I threw 2 sigs (224 & 226 legion) along w a 50 AE Desert Eagle into it. Took 20 minutes to clean near spotless, just had a quick wipe down and then normal lube and reassembly to complete. As an old infantryman Id say this wouldve taken me 3-4 hours for a normal cleaning by hand and even longer for a detailed cleaning such as the ultrasonic could do.

If you have any specific questions about it let me know on here or msg me

[PhillySoldier]

Just to add if your still deciding which one to get, I would recommend the 9L over the 7L one. Give you the opportunity to clean rifles as well as add multiple smaller pans/baskets to clean at a time.

[JHB51]

I put the slide from my Browning Buck Mark in mine. Did a great job of removing the bluing in 10 minuets. A stainless cylinder came out clean with no discoloration. Be careful what you put in then.

[jban357]

I would save your money and not buy one for the use you are talking about. To me water and guns do not go together. I would spend more time and effort trying to dry and oil my guns after putting them in a ultrasound than I would just cleaning.

[Lou_the_welder]

Originally Posted by MichiganScott

Ultrasonic cleaners may work well on fired cases and carbon deposits on your handguns, but how well will they work on copper and lead fouling? If you have to scour out chambers and barrels, you might just as well wipe off the carbon deposits while wiping off any solvent you used to help the mechanical removal of the copper or lead.

Right? Don't you still need to brush the barrel and cylinder out!?

I have a handy and quick ritual I go through......

Spray bathe mpro 7 cleaner....everywhere.....brush rifling and cylinder........wipe with microfiber. Run patches through....lite oil! Presto! Done. Finished.

30-45 minutes. 3 full size revolvers.

I still tumble my brass too.

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